The Race Against Leaf-bare
by Commander Nightmare
Summary: Nut lives and hunts near the forest. So does Song. Yet they never met until Nut got captured by Bloodclan. Song helped her escape and the two become the best of friends. But Bloodclan is looking for them and threats loom over them until they aren't safe anywhere. Nut and Song have to find a new home fast before leaf-bare. Will they ever succeed?
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first story,can you please comment in your reviews about what you think and if I need to improve on anything. Also, can you tell me if I have any spelling or grammar errors? Thanks and enjoy!**

Nut leaped on a mouse and sank her pearly claws into it. The mouse wriggled a little before becoming still.

"A nice catch," she thought proudly

"Mother would have loved it." Nut picked up the plump mouse and padded toward her makeshift den. Her home was leaky and airy, but it was still home. Nut sat down in the cramped, tight spaced and started grooming her matted tabby fur. She rasped her tongue over her brown paw and washed her ear. When she was done, she laid down on the soft earth and ravenously gulped down her mouse. It was juicy and tasted of the forest.

Nut finished her meal and buried the bones in the dirt near her house. She slowly got up and stretched, taking her time to show off her muscles. Nut then bounded into the dense forest, the sunlight dappling her pelt with even more creamy golden spots. She padded toward a stream and drank long gulps of sweet, cold water. After she had enough, she walked toward the Two-Leg Place. It was rumored to have the toughest, meanest cats in the world. Mother used to tell her stories of them. They had dog teeth for claws and around their neck were collars with the teeth of cats and dogs they killed.

Nut wanted to see them for herself. As soon as she jumped over the fence, she knew there was no turning back. She took a deep breath and padded forward, her claws clicking loudly against the stone. After her paws were sore from walking and it was getting dark, cats slipped out of the darkness. They immediately surrounded her and one cat growled,

" What are you doing on Bloodclan territory?" Nut, trembling answered,

" I was exploring." Suddenly, one of the cats sniffed her and declared,

" She smells like a forest cat."

" A forest cat, ay," another answered

"Let's take her to Scourge." he announced. Nut tried to hold her breath. They smelled terrible! One of the cats,a black and white one, pushed her forward.

She stumbled and glared at him. The black and white cat sneered,

" Can't walk fast enough, huh? Move along kit." Nut glared at him and started trotting faster. One cat mewed

"She's a pretty one, Bone. Can we keep her?" The black and white cat called Bone answered,

" That's up to Scourge, Ice, didn't you know that?" Ice bared his teeth, but said nothing. When they arrived at Bloodclan "camp" Nut saw a small black cat with icy blue eyes sitting on a junk pile. Nut wrinkled her nose. Gross! This place radiated stink! Bone looked at the small cat on the pile. "Scourge,we have brought a forest cat." Nut's head spun. Scourge? That tiny cat was the infamous Scourge?

**Haha! Left you on a cliffhanger!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:The writing in italics are her thoughts. I don't own I did, then there wouldn't be so many mistakes.**

**Sorrelfall: She doesn't own Warriors.**

**Me: We got the point. Hey guys, I don't mean to bother you, but I have a forum named Paw Allegiance, and can you go check it out? I have a contest on there, and if you join the Paw Allegiance and win, you might get an OC for this story. ;)**

**Now, I will answer reviews!**

**Clearflight: Thanks for the info. I fixed it now.**

**A7XWarriorCat: I get to that sooner or later.**

Nut froze as Scourge spoke,

"Take her where she could be guarded, and if she behaves, she will become my mate." Nut's thoughts swirled._Mate! I'm too young to have a mate! I'm only six moons old!_ A voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Move, kit." Bone growled. Nut stumbled forward and started walking until she was roughly shoved into an area surrounded by soft, soggy brown leaves with black markings on them. Two big cats sat at the camp entrance and stared straight ahead. Nut sighed and put her brown head on her paws._I'll never get out and I'll be mates with Scourge and I'll bear lots of kits for him. This is hopeless._

A gray tom stepped in the soggy brown prison. He rudely pushed Nut and sent her sprawling on the rough, unforgiving ground. He then laughed and tossed a scrawny mouse on her. Nut scrambled back into sitting position and nibbled the mouse, wrinkling her nose as the taste of the Two-leg place hit her tongue. She pushed it away and started washing her grimy fur. She was slowly washing her whiskers when she saw a flash of white. Cat's fur! Nut looked around and didn't see anything, when suddenly,she remembered the ghost cats of Mother's stories. They used to be cats, until a ghost cat took over their bodies, turning the cats into ghosts and wander around for eternity, searching for a new body. Nut shivered. Suppose that was a ghost, and it took over her body? Then she would be a ghost!

She snapped out of her haunting thoughts, only to see the flash of white again. Nut trembled,hunching up in a little ball, wishing she could fall asleep. At long last, Nut floated away,free from the world of ghosts. She had a strangely dreamless sleep. Usually memories littered her dreams. Memories that she wanted to get away from. Nut jerked awake. A new tom was sitting at the entrance. She wondered where the she-cats were. Maybe the toms killed them. Her ear twitched at the thought. Maybe they were all dead. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't hear the tom move aside and mew respectfully,

"Scourge." Suddenly, claws raked across her ear. Nut howled in pain. When her vision cleared, she saw a familiar tiny black tom with a white paw and ice-blue eyes. Scourge.

Scourge sneered and hissed in her face, his breath stinking like the black path and roarers,

"I hope you've been good,kit." Nut glared at him, momentarily forgetting the pain in her ear and the blood dripping down her cheek. Scourge purred and tried to lick her clawed ear and growled when Nut shied away from his tongue. Nut shivered at the thought of Scourge's kits. He snarled and pushed past the tom at the entrance.

Nut's eyes glazed over until the tom brought her a plump blackbird. She forced herself to choke it down, wincing every time the tang of the blackpath hit her tongue. Then she flopped down, not bothering to clean her pelt, and fell asleep.

_"Mama, mama! Look! I caught a butterfly!" A young brown tabby with creamy golden spots and energetic amber eyes was pinning a black and orange butterfly. The butterfly was fluttering weakly in the paws of the tiny kitten."Nut, it's time for you to go to bed." her mother purred."Aw, mama! I'm not tired!" Young Nut complained. Mother purred again."Do you want me to tell you a story?" Nut's eyes brightened."Yes Mama! Tell me about the Clans!" Mother's ears twitched,_

_"There are 4 Clans of noble warriors. They live together in groups. Sometimes they clash in battles over territory or prey. There is Riverclan, they can swim and they eat fish. Shadowclan lives in pines and they eat lizards and frogs." _

_"Yuck! Who would want to eat frogs!" Nut wrinkled her nose in disgust. Mother purred and continued,_

_"There was quick footed Windclan. They lived in the moors and ate rabbits." Mother stopped when Nut's eyes started to close._

_"No Mama! I want to hear about Thund-" Young Nut fell asleep._

_"No! Mother! You can't leave! I still need you!" A 5 moon old Nut was standing next to her Mother, watching the blood ooze out of her neck wound._

_"It's my time, Nut. Remember what I taught you." Mother's chest heaved for breath as she mewed that._

_"__No Mother! I'm not ready! Don't leave me!" Nut howled glow in Mother's eyes were fading. With a last look at her daughter filled with love and affection, she closed her eyes. Nut let out a wail and pressed her nose into Mother's fur, breathing in the last shreds of her scent._

Nut woke up to a pair of blue eyes staring at her.

**Another cliffhanger! I won't update until I get at least 5 reviews,ok?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, Dream here. I sound like Sky. XD So,I've decided that every 3 chapters I'll post a poem of a Warrior cat. I know it's only chapter three but I've decided to have a contest. It's a simple contest, I might have a more complex one later. You can write a poem about your favorite Warrior cat. Authors,you can PM me this poem. Guests, you can post it in the reviews. I don't mean to bother you, but there's a POLL in my profile page, can you go check it out? It might have interesting stories you might like. :) See you at the end of the pit of nonsense words! On to the story!**

Nut leaped off the ground, colliding with the other cat's nose. The she-cat yowled with pain and glared at Nut.

"What was that for?" she snarled, her fur bristling. Nut blinked.

"I didn't mean to do it, you shouldn't have stared at me that close." the she-cat flattened her fur and Nut took a closer look at her. She had white fur splattered with mud and dirty water. Her paws were gray and her ear tips were black. The other she-cat's eyes were a beautiful blue, unlike Nut's honey-colored eyes. The she-cat whispered softly,

"I'm Song and I'm here to get you out." Nut's fur spiked a little,

"How do I know that you aren't one of Scourge's minions?" Song's voice was still calm when she answered,

"I'm not wearing a collar." Nut,embarrassed, muttered,

"I guess I can trust you. I'm Nut." Song turned and bolted away, much to Nut's surprise.

"Hey, wait up!" she yowled, her voice echoing in the dark tunnels with no roof. Song slowed down, only to hiss,

"Are you crazy? If you want to get out, then you have to be quiet!" Nut flattened her ears, embarrassed

"Sorry." she muttered and raced to catch up with Song. They ran quietly until Nut heard the familiar clinking of Bloodclan cats chasing them.

"Catch them!" she heard Bone screech. Song bristled. Nut could tell that she was trying hard to keep calm. Nut willed her legs to run faster until her legs were burning and aching badly. But still she heard the clack of dog teeth on the cold,hard ground getting louder. After what seemed like ages,she smelled the fresh forest scents. Trying to run faster,she clawed up the fence and burst into the green forest, sighing with relief. But Song kept running, racing away as if Bloodclan was at her heels. Nut slowed her pace, relaxing her sore muscles. Song had disappeared in the green vegetation, so Nut had to follow her scent. At last, she saw Song's familiar white pelt stained with mud and oily water. She appeared to be washing herself, but slowly.

Nut padded over and sat down, her chest heaving for breath and heart pounding. Song continued to wash, ignoring Nut. When Song's pelt was snowy white again, she spoke,

"Bloodclan is now on the hunt for us. They will kill us if they catch us. We must not hunt together, and disguise our scent with mud." Nut wrinkled her pink nose,

"Mud? That's disgusting!" she spat

"You'll have to cope with it if you don't want to get killed," retorted Song "I certainly don't" Nut was confused.

"But where do I get the mud?" she questioned. Song's eyes twinkled.

"Follow me." Song got up and padded toward a direction Nut had never gone. She slowly followed Song into the shady,forest green woods. Nut heard the chitter of squirrels and the squeaking of mice scurrying under the deep green leaves. Finally she came into a tight clearing,where Song was sitting. There was a brook gurgling and splashing at the side of the clearing, and at the edge was soft, squishy,creamy mud. Song bounded over to it and stuck a paw in it. The paw sank in the mud with a squish. She withdrew the paw and it was covered with the thick, wet mud. Song then rolled into it, covering her clean fur with the stuff. She got up and Nut realized the she couldn't smell Song's scent anymore.

Reluctantly she padded over to the mud and forced her self to roll in it. The sensation was strange, it was cold on her skin, and it clumped in her fur. Nut pulled herself out and muttered, mainly to herself,

"That was disgusting." Song purred in amusement

"Now I can't smell you though." she mewled. Nut's belly growled.

"I'm hungry," she grumbled

"I'm going to go hunt." Song nodded

"Okay,"she said "Just don't stay out too long."

"Your beginning to sound like my mother." Nut muttered as she raced away. While Nut was hunting,a heavy weight dropped on her back."What are you doing on my territory?"

**Cliffie! Now here's the poem ya'll have been waiting for.**

Yellowfang

Grew up a warrior,felt others pain

Exiled while Brokenstar reigned

Became Medicine cat against her will

Though she was convicted to kill

Formed a bond with the fire

Watched his rank grow higher and higher

A medicine cat,that knew how to fight

But did the things that she thought right

Broke the code,falling in love

Evil corrupted her only son

Rests in Starclan,with her mate

Died by the paws of her own fate


End file.
